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Showing results for tags 'adhesive'.
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Hi all, I'm getting really close to manufacturing my first run of custom dials. I'm not ready to share a lot of details yet, but I would sincerely appreciate some advice on adhesives. My dials will be featuring a 0.25 mm height steel chapter ring attached directly to the top of the dial material. I'm certainly not planning anything stupid like using cyanoacrylate glue to bond the chapter rings to the dials. I'm hoping for something low viscosity that can be applied carefully and will take a bit of time to set before curing. I'm looking for low viscosity because of the tight tolerances involved; height matters a lot here. I'm hoping for something that will be at least a little bit malleable, as I will need to align the chapter rings manually before they set and cure. (I really, really wish I could build some feet into the chapter rings and put them into alignment holes on the dial, but that's not possible for reasons that will become apparent once I disclose the dial material. I will need to align the chapter rings based on the stem location and with the aide of a spare crystal-less case that has an indexed bezel I'll be fixing in place.) Right now, I'm looking at GS Crystal Hypo Cement as the best potential adhesive. It should give me 10-15 seconds of manipulation before it sets, and I hope that I can use a small enough quantity in a few key places to keep the chapter ring secure and as flush as possible to the dial surface. Another alternative would be a two-part epoxy that I've thinned with alcohol or acetone. Since I don't need a hugely strong bond, the fact that solvent will weaken the epoxy isn't a huge concern. Thinning the epoxy with solvent would also extend its curing time, and I really don't want to have to try to hold down the chapter ring in perfect alignment by hand for an extended period of time before it sets. Please let me know what the best way to proceed here would be. Specific brand recommendations are especially appreciated. Of course I can practice, but due to the cost and difficulty of prepping the dial materials, I'd prefer to minimize losing materials here and to get my process right quickly. Thanks in advance for any advice, Dan (I've been documenting my research, design, and manufacturing steps to date and will be sharing information about my project when I am closer to the finish. This has been a fascinating journey into horology, lapidary, woodworking, CAD, and laser cutting for me.)